Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to plumbing fixtures, and more particularly to water spouts that deliver a stream of laminar fluid.
Plumbing fixtures providing laminar flowing streams of water have previously been described. See e.g. U.S. Pat Nos. 3,730,440, 3,851,825, 4,119,276, 4,657,186, 4,730,786, 4,795,092, 5,160,086, 5,213,260, and 5,242,119. Laminar flow, as used herein, means fluid flow that is generally non-turbulent having essentially non-fluctuating local velocities and pressures such that the resulting stream has a generally rod-like appearance. Such laminar flow is desired for ornamental purposes because the outgoing stream typically appears to be like a clear glass rod.
Supply water is typically fed through a series of flow smoothing elements before exiting through a suitable nozzle orifice. The flow smoothing elements are usually perforated disks, screens and filters which are arranged in series downstream from the supply water connection. The flow smoothing elements alter the flow velocity and redistribute the velocity profile as needed to convert turbulent flow into laminar flow.
One problem with existing fixtures is that small openings in the screens, filters and perforated disks can become clogged over time from build-up of mineral deposits and gravel in the supply water. This can result in reduced and/or non-laminar flow. To correct this, the clogged elements may need to be periodically removed from the fixture to be cleaned or replaced.
Typically, the flow smoothing elements are separately assembled into the fixture such that to remove them one must disassemble the relatively tiny elements piece by piece. After being cleaned or replaced, each element then must be reassembled in the original order so as to provide the proper flow characteristics. This task can be tedious, be susceptible to error, require manual dexterity, and may (in any event) be beyond the skill level of some consumers (thereby requiring professional plumbing assistance). The task is even more arduous if the flow smoothing elements are not accessible from the interior of a room without breaking a permanent wall.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved water spout in which the flow smoothing elements can be more easily cleaned, serviced or replaced.
In one aspect the invention provides a water spout having a fixture body defining an open-ended cavity and a port leading to the cavity that is connectible to a plumbing supply line. A cartridge is removably disposed in the body cavity and has a housing with an inlet opening in fluid communication with the port in the fixture body and an outlet opening. The housing contains a plurality of flow smoothing elements positioned between the inlet and outlet openings for rendering the flow of fluid passing through the cartridge laminar. A nozzle is positioned adjacent the outlet opening of the cartridge and it has an orifice through which fluid leaving the spout can be projected in the form of a stream.
In preferred forms the housing is an open-ended housing and a cap is engageable adjacent the open end of the housing. The inlet opening is located in a recess of a rear wall of the housing opposite the cap, and the outlet opening is located in the cap. A pressure compensating flow regulator is disposed in the recess.
In other forms of the invention the plurality of flow smoothing elements are selected from the group consisting of screens and foam filters. Also, a screen can be disposed between a foam filter and a ring spacer in the cartridge.
In still other variants, the fixture body can be a cup-shaped member with one closed end and an opposite open end having a circumferential flange for assisting in clamping a wall if the spout is mounted through the wall. The port is disposed in a radial wall, and a flanged clamping sleeve telescopes into the body radially outside of the cartridge. This latter feature allows the assembly to be easily adjusted for walls of different thickness.
In yet another variant, the fixture body is a faucet body having a projecting stem that in part defines the cavity. The nozzle is engaged to the stem.
Another aspect of the invention is the provision of replacement cartridges containing the flow smoothing elements. Such replacement cartridges can be used in such lavatory faucet bodies, or in housings attachable to a vertical room wall.
The present invention thus provides a plumbing fixture that can deliver a laminar stream of water. A compact, easily replaceable cartridge contains all of the flow smoothing and pressure regulating elements that are needed, so that they can all be removed from the fixture at once (for cleaning, service or replacement). Moreover, the housings of the present invention are designed to provide easy access to the cartridge without requiring access to the backside of a room wall.
The foregoing and still other advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In that description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration preferred embodiments of the invention. These embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention. Thus, the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention.